Latest news with #TheWizardofOz
Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Here's where to watch outdoor movies around Metro Vancouver this summer
Summer outdoor movie nights started taking off around Metro Vancouver as we eased our way out of pandemic lockdowns, and they seem to be here to stay. Many Lower Mainland communities and B.C. tourist spots are joining in the fun, often sponsored by local businesses and mostly free to audiences. Movie showtimes in most communities are at dusk, meaning they start a little earlier as summer wanes — though you might want to set up your lawn chair or blanket earlier than sundown to ensure you get good seats and, in some spots, to take in the pre-show entertainment on offer. Here are some of the summer movie series planned this summer around Metro and beyond: Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Downtown Vancouver Hosted by the downtown business improvement association — now branded as simply Downtown Van — free movies return to šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square, the north plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery, on Thursdays until mid-August. Movies are shown on a 10-metre inflatable screen starting at sundown, with warmups starting at 5 p.m. each evening that include interactive trivia, face painting, dancers and circus performers, DJs and mini golf. • Thursday, July 3: Bring It On • Thursday, July 10: The Wild Robot • Thursday, July 17: Little Women • Thursday, July 24: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World • Thursday, July 31: The Wizard of Oz • Thursday, Aug. 7: Wicked • Thursday, Aug. 14: Inception For more on the downtown movie nights, go to . Stanley Park Billing itself as the 'largest outdoor movie series in Canada,' Evo Car Share sponsors another year of summer cinema on Tuesday nights in Stanley Park. Movies are shown on a 40-foot screen in Ceperley Meadow, at Second Beach, with hundreds of free seats on the lawn available on a first-come, first-serve basis. With a reservation , you can get priority seating on Adirondack chairs near the front. • Tuesday, July 8: The Princess Bride • Tuesday, July 15: The Land Before Time • Tuesday, July 22: Legally Blonde • Tuesday, July 29: Ferris Bueller's Day Off • Tuesday, Aug. 5: You choose the movie • Tuesday, Aug. 12: Top Gun (original) • Tuesday, Aug. 19: My Best Friend's Wedding • Tuesday, Aug. 26: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone For more on the series, go to . Vancouver Civic Theatres VCT's Summer on šxʷƛ̓exən Xwtl'a7shn (the plaza outside Queen Elizabeth Theatre , 630 Hamilton St.), includes music on Thursdays, dance parties on Fridays, and free sunset cinema each Wednesday in August. Movies are screened at dusk with a local DJ getting things started each night at 7 p.m. Here's the lineup: • Wednesday, Aug. 6: Shrek • Wednesday, Aug. 13: The Wild Robot • Wednesday, Aug. 20: Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark • Wednesday, Aug. 27: Mean Girls For more information on the series, including the music and dance nights, visit . The City of Surrey is showing three outdoor movies on the great lawn at Clayton Community Centre, 7155 187A St., in July and August. Bring a blanket or chairs and come early for family-friendly activities starting at 7:30 p.m. Movies start at around 9 p.m. Popcorn will be on sale (cash only) and food trucks will be on site. Here's the lineup : • Friday, July 4: Inside Out (9 p.m. start) • Friday, July 25: Encanto (9 p.m. start) • Friday, Aug. 22: Bolt Langley City The city plans to host a free movie night at Brydon Park, 198th Street and 53rd Avenue, but as of late June, the film had not been announced. • Friday, July 11: N/A Langley Township • Thursday, July 10: Dive-In Movie Night at The Outdoor Experience water park, The Wild Robot (bring a floatie and take in the movie, 7 p.m. start) • Friday, July 25: Outdoor Movie at McClughan Park, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (9:15 p.m. start) • Thursday, Aug. 7: Dive-In Movie Night at The Outdoor Experience water park, Moana 2 (7 p.m. start) • Friday, Aug. 15: Outdoor Movie at McClughan Park, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (8:45 p.m. start) • Friday, Aug. 29: Outdoor Movie at Routley Park, Migration (8:30 p.m.) • Saturday, Aug. 30: Outdoor Movie at Aldergrove Athletic Park, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (8:30 p.m.) • Sunday, Aug. 31: Outdoor Movie at James Hill Park, Kung Fu Panda (8:30 p.m.) For the complete summer lineup, which also includes concerts, family, youth and theme nights at parks around the township, go to . The City of Burnaby hosts free summer cinema at two locations, Civic Square on Friday nights and Confederation Park on Saturdays. Bring blankets and chairs and some snacks and enjoy. Here's the lineup : Civic Square, 6100 Willingdon Ave. (movies start at about 8:30 p.m.) • Friday, Aug. 15: A Minecraft Movie • Friday, Aug. 22: The Tiger's Apprentice • Friday, Aug. 29: If Confederation Park, 250 Willingdon Ave. (movies start at about 8:15 p.m.) • Saturday, Aug. 16: Dog Man • Saturday, Aug. 23: Moana 2 The Polygon Gallery on the North Shore waterfront (101 Carrie Cates Court) returns on summer Thursdays with a Deckchair Cinema series highlighting sci-fi films in 2025. Thanks to sponsors Rogers and BMO, admission is by donation and includes popcorn and admission to the gallery exhibit; music and concessions start at 7 p.m. followed by movies at dusk. Here is the schedule : • Thursday, July 3: Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (film starts 9:15 p.m.) • Thursday, July 10: Universal Language (9:15 p.m.) • Thursday, July 17: Gravity (9 p.m.) • Thursday, July 24: Spaceballs (9 p.m.) • Thursday, July 31: The Fifth Element (8:45 p.m.) • Thursday, Aug. 7: Flash Gordon (8:45 p.m.) • Thursday, Aug. 14: Star Trek 2: The Wrath Of Khan (8:30 p.m.) • Thursday, Aug. 21: Starman (8:30 p.m.) • Thursday, Aug. 28: David Lynch's Dune (8:30 p.m.) PoCo offers family movies at Evergreen Park, 3500 Cedar Dr., on four Saturday nights this summer, thanks to sponsor BMO. Bring snacks and drinks, blankets and lawn chairs. A food truck will be on site July 12 and Aug. 23. The lineup : • Saturday, July 12: Encanto (9:15 p.m.) • Saturday, July 26: Twisters (9:15 p.m.) • Saturday, Aug. 9: The Princess Bride (8:45 p.m.) • Saturday, Aug. 23: Top Gun: Maverick (8:45 p.m.) As part of the Tsawwassen Sun Festival over the August long weekend, a free outdoor movie is being shown at Southlands Grange, 6313 Market Ave., Delta. Food and treats trucks, popcorn and games will be available. • Saturday, Aug. 2: Trolls: Let's Band Together (8:45 p.m.) Whistler has a summer concert series in Olympic Plaza that kicks off on Canada Day, featuring artists like Sam Roberts Band, 54-40 and Chantal Kreviazuk along with DJ sets. More on those at . There are also movie nights every Wednesday and Saturday. Here's the lineup: • Wednesday, July 2: Ferris Bueller's Day Off • Saturday, July 5: Ferris Bueller's Day Off • Wednesday, July 9: Grease • Saturday, July 12: The Call of the Wild • Wednesday, July 16: Wayne's World • Saturday, July 19: Wayne's World • Wednesday, July 23: Bend it Like Beckham • Saturday, July 26: Bend it Like Beckham • Wednesday, July 30: Whip It Do you know of a movie night series in your area that's not listed here? Send us the details at vantips@ . jruttle@
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
X Factor star to star in top musical at King's Theatre in Glasgow
Joe McElderry will take on the role of Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the King's Theatre from July 30 to August 3. McElderry, who previously played the title role in the 2017/2018 UK tour of the same musical, is part of a star-studded cast that includes Christina Bianco as the narrator and Adam Filipe as Joseph. Joe McElderry will take on the role of Pharaoh (Image: Supplied) Bianco, a two-time Drama Desk Award nominee, gained international fame through her YouTube 'diva' impression videos, which have gained more than 25 million views. She recently entertained audiences as Glinda in The Wizard of Oz at The London Palladium. Read more: Glasgow's police force welcomes two adorable new recruits Lorraine Kelly issues plea to viewers after emotional on-air confession Second man arrested after cops raid cannabis cultivation in Glasgow Filipe has an impressive list of credits, including Titanic The Musical (UK Tour), Prince Of Egypt, Original West End Cast, and Les Misérables (Queens Theatre). The 2025 touring company also features Hugh Cotton as Reuben and Will Haswell as Simeon, alongside a large ensemble cast. The children's company includes a diverse group of young performers. For more information and tickets, go here. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was released as a concept album in 1969. The multi-award-winning show, featuring lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, has been performed in more than 80 countries and includes much-loved classics such as Any Dream Will Do, Close Every Door, and Go, Go, Go, Joseph. The show is directed by Laurence Connor, with choreography by JoAnn M Hunter. Morgan Large is responsible for set and costume design, while Ben Cracknell and Gareth Owen handle lighting and sound design, respectively. The show is produced by Michael Harrison.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Tells Judge He Will Not Testify at His Trial
After federal prosecutors completed six weeks of evidence and testimony backing up their indictment of hip-hop mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs on Tuesday, the defendant told the judge at his federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial that he will not be taking the stand to testify in his own defense. Federal prosecutors rested their case Tuesday afternoon after six weeks of testimony from Combs' ex-girlfriends, personal assistants, federal agents and various members of his once powerful media and music empire, which the feds argue was a 'criminal enterprise' used to traffic men and women and coerce others into sex marathons. The defense rested later in the afternoon without calling a single witness. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian asked how Combs was and whether he would be testifying at the trial where, if found guilty, he could face life in prison. More from The Hollywood Reporter The Sphere Worked Modern Magic on the Soundtrack for 'The Wizard of Oz' J-Pop Duo Yoasobi on Why Their Unique Concept Has Helped Lead to Global Success Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Make Casual Red Carpet Debut at His Tight End University's Opening Night 'I'm doing great, your honor,' Combs told Subramanian. 'I want to tell you thank you, you're doing an excellent job.' Combs then told the judge that he had 'thoroughly' discussed the pros and cons of testifying with his team of attorneys and ultimately decided against taking the stand. 'That is my decision, your honor. That is solely my decision,' he said adding to clarify, 'I mean, it's my decision with my lawyers…. My decision to make. I'm making it.' The judge asking the defendant directly if they wish to testify before the court is a formality and ensures that he is making the decision on his own. During the trial, Judge Subramanian had to admonish Combs for interactions with the jury. On several occasions during testimony, the defendant gestured at jurors following a successful cross-examination; prosecutors noted this to the judge as a form of testifying without cross-examination. Comb was threatened with removal from his trial if he did not stop the interactions. On Tuesday, the defense asked the judge to toss out the case, arguing that the charges were not proven by the prosecutors; this is also a formality in a criminal trial. Judge Subramanian has not yet issued a decision. Combs has pleaded not guilty to five counts contained in an indictment, including sex trafficking and racketeering. He has remained incarcerated without bail in Brooklyn after three judges concluded he would be a danger to the community and may potentially attempt to influence witnesses ahead of the trial. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Harvey Weinstein's "Jane Doe 1" Victim Reveals Identity: "I'm Tired of Hiding" 'Awards Chatter' Podcast: 'Sopranos' Creator David Chase Finally Reveals What Happened to Tony (Exclusive)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Diddy's Right-Hand Woman Became the Phantom of His Trial
When hip-hop titan Sean 'Diddy' Combs was served in November 2023 with a searing 35-page complaint filed by his longtime ex-girlfriend, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, alleging years of physical violence, his carefully crafted public image and decades of empire-building were thrown into chaos. That world-shattering moment of crisis was so dead-serious, it's now brought Combs, 'Diddy' or 'Puff,' if you work for him, before a judge and jury, facing federal sex-trafficking and racketeering charges in a high-profile trial. More from The Hollywood Reporter Sabrina Carpenter Debuts Alternate 'Man's Best Friend' Cover That's "Approved by God" Amid Online Backlash Sean "Diddy" Combs Tells Judge He Will Not Testify at His Trial The Sphere Worked Modern Magic on the Soundtrack for 'The Wizard of Oz' When Ventura filed her suit, Kristina Khorram was there, standing by his side, working her phone in full crisis mode for her boss of a decade. She was also there in 2016, sitting at Combs' side after he brought a bag containing $100,000 into the InterContinental Hotel in L.A., as a witness testified, in order to obtain the harrowing footage that could tank his public image (and it did, when CCTV video of him beating and dragging Ventura leaked to the press eight years later). For over a decade, Khorram, nicknamed 'KK,' was right there, next to Combs at these sort of moments of inflection. Six weeks of testimony just heard at his federal trial showed that the 38-year-old was steadfastly there for the powerful mogul: overseeing his assistants, assessing his moods, making appointments for the women he dated — and as several witnesses have told the court, 'KK' was pulling plenty of the strings to facilitate the deeds of which her boss is accused and then, as witnesses have said, helping to cover some of it up. But as a grey-haired Combs has sat for six weeks in a lower Manhattan federal courtroom, wearing the same five dull sweater-and-trousers outfits, where his defense against the federal government's claims about his relationships with Cassie and others will determine if he spends the rest of his life in prison, Khorram hasn't been there. With an outsized role, first as a Bad Boy Records liaison and then as chief of staff for the rap and fashion mogul's multi-pronged company, she's had an uncommon hand in his personal life since she was promoted to her top role in 2020. Despite facing zero charges from the feds alongside Combs, testimony at the lower Manhattan federal courthouse indicates Khorram was deeply entrenched in many of the allegations discussed at trial. Though the five-count indictment of Combs stops short of naming names, Khorram is clearly one of the people who prosecutors are talking about when they talk about 'high-ranking supervisors' Combs used to 'carry out, facilitate and cover up his abuse and commercial sex.' Notably, as the feds brought 34 witnesses — dozens of Combs Global staffers, hired sex workers and other key players — before the jury, Khorram's name remained absent from the witness list. But as testimony unfolded in the government's case, her name seemed to be lurking at every turn. She was there in name and spirit during the first week of testimony, when her monitoring and reporting back on Ventura's whereabouts and activities as Combs' trusted staffer was discussed; the R&B singer, who dated Combs until 2018, told the court how present 'KK' was as she detailed her and Combs' romance and how the relationship nosedived into physical abuse and, as she claimed, blackmail and coercive control. There's 'KK' again, in name but not beside her now ex-boss in week three of the trial, as evidence is entered of her texting with 'Mia,' the pseudonymous assistant to Combs, to talk her down from thoughts of suicide while ensuring she would not become a liability after being unceremoniously fired after years of service. (Now with hindsight on her time with Combs, 'Mia' told the jury that 'there was nobody around us that ever even flinched at his behavior.') The following week in court, 'KK' was metaphorically there, front and center again in discussions as 'Jane,' Combs' girlfriend until his arrest last year, told the court how the chief of staff downplayed the risk of transporting narcotics on a commercial flight to encourage her to do it for Combs' benefit. In this manner, Khorram's name has haunted the entire trial. From small moments recalled in court where she's taking photos of texts on Combs' phone or when she's allegedly managing those procuring sex workers and drugs for his 'freak-off' parties, overseeing those cleaning up after the hotel nights or just intimidating underlings and enforcing a culture of secrecy, 'KK' was referenced more than two dozen times in the trial before the jaw-dropping moment on June 5, when prosecutors referred to her as a 'co-conspirator and agent' of Combs. What did this mean? Would she be facing charges, proving the racketeering element of the feds' case or was she imminently taking the stand to testify? That last possibility is clearly not happening now that the prosecution has rested its case. But given Khorram's continued absence from the courtroom and the fact that no one has heard from her since March, when she broke her silence to adamantly deny claims made about her in three civil suits against her and Combs, this is the question that burns: Did she flip on him and work with the prosecution? Or is she now a sitting duck, possibly about to be charged for any of the myriad allegations the court and trial observers heard about over the past six weeks? The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Khorram through the Music Beats Hearts nonprofit she helped found but has not received a response from her. Since Khorram issued her statement in March, no publication has been able to get a response from her attorney. 'These false allegations of my involvement are causing irreparable and incalculable damage to my reputation and the emotional well-being of myself and my family,' her March statement reads, in part. 'I have never condoned or aided and abetted the sexual assault of anyone. Nor have I ever drugged anyone.' An important, and somewhat confusing, aspect of the racketeering charge Combs faces is that he is the lone accused party in a case that must prove a conspiracy. While this may seem counterintuitive, it's not uncommon in a RICO case, particularly now that prosecutors are getting creative, taking the statute designed to rope together organized crime syndicates to refer to various other alleged 'criminal enterprisers,' be they a cult (NXIVM, for sex trafficking) or a college admissions scam (the Varsity Blues scandal). In a case that has seen some comparisons to the Combs trial, singer R. Kelly became the only one convicted under RICO in his 2021 federal sex trafficking case; two men accused as co-conspirators were eventually acquitted. And as far as Combs' case, prosecutors must prove he used an entity as the vehicle to facilitate criminal activities over time, with him and only him facing racketeering charges. 'The prosecutor has broad discretion in terms of who they prosecute and what they prosecute them for,' Anna Cominsky, a professor at New York Law School, told The Hollywood Reporter. 'Keep in mind, just because someone wasn't prosecuted doesn't mean they didn't engage in criminal activity.' Given Khorram's proximity to many of the allegations heard in court of happenings at Combs Global, it follows that if the axe were to fall on someone else, it's likely going to be his 'right-hand woman,' who Combs proclaimed in a 2021 Facebook post that he didn't 'know how I'd function without her.' Producer Lil' Rod Jones went as far as to compare 'KK' and Combs to Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, making a direct comparison between Maxwell and 'KK' in his explosive civil suit against Combs; that tenuous $30 million suit is one of three that names Khorram alongside Combs. While Epstein never made it to see a trial, having died in a federal lock-up, the timing of charges is notable and perhaps, something to watch for; it was notably just a hair under a full year after his indictment that the Department of Justice announced the charges against Maxwell. Combs was charged in September of 2024. As the prosecution rested its case on Tuesday, 'KK,' the phantom of the trial, remained out of the picture entirely. The defense called no witnesses, and Combs opted not to take the stand. Though charges could come Khorram's way at any moment, there's a solid chance that she may not be formally accused of anything by the government. Speaking with THR, Cominsky laid out three reasons this could be the case. One simple reason could be that Khorram quietly worked with the prosecutors in exchange for a non-prosecution agreement. At the time of her public denial of wrongdoing in March, rumors swirled that she would sing and the consensus seemed to be that throwing loyalty aside would be the smart thing for her to do. This was the case with multiple former Combs staffers who took the stand to tell the jury about his work and personal life. If she didn't work with the feds, Cominsky said, perhaps the statute of limitations for the alleged crimes she may or may not have been involved in has passed. But this is unlikely — she worked for Combs until his September arrest, and 'Jane' or 'Victim 4' was with Combs until then, too. Or perhaps, 'KK' is avoiding indictment because the case against her is too weak. 'The government has to analyze its evidence,' Cominsky said. 'Do they actually have evidence that would support a prosecution against the individual? If they do, then they can. But if they don't, they can't.' In fact, any potential case against 'KK' might have been weakened by trial testimony, which has called into question how much Khorram actually knew about Combs' 'freak-off' parties and hotel night sex-and-drug marathons. Combs, it turns out, may have concealed from his top lieutenant the frequency of these nights- and days-long sessions, which are central to the government's case. As 'Jane' told the court, Combs knew Khorram didn't approve of the lengthy sessions because he'd disappear on everyone and productivity could grind to a halt. As the jury is about to be handed the case against Combs, Khorram will remain the biggest absentee player in the trial while, for jurors forbidden from viewing related news coverage, she'll remain more of an idea than a person. This lack of testimony from someone so close to Combs could create an opening for the defense to plant a seed of doubt; if this is a conspiracy and criminal enterprise, where was 'K.K.'? Certainly no longer in the position of power she once held. And, while she's not facing any charges, the fate of her reputation will certainly, at least in part, be decided by the jurors in the coming days. And for the loyal, cutthroat right-hand woman, that sought-after reputation gained by association with a larger-than-life power player, one which she enjoyed for years, might now be impossible to shake off. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Harvey Weinstein's "Jane Doe 1" Victim Reveals Identity: "I'm Tired of Hiding" 'Awards Chatter' Podcast: 'Sopranos' Creator David Chase Finally Reveals What Happened to Tony (Exclusive)
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Music important to Rainbow Stage's latest, but '80s-era rock hair had to be just so
Rainbow Stage's head of hair and wigs didn't have to mull it over too deeply to find inspiration for the outrageous hair-dos and don'ts in Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages Rainbow Stage • Opens Thursday, runs to July 12 • Tickets $29-$78 at • Recommended for age 15 and up 'I dated half of these guys in high school,' says Laura Warren, who graduated from Oak Park in the late '80s at the height of glam rock. She points to ensemble member Devin Alexander, decked out in a sky-high, shoulder-length mullet and skin-tight black-and-white leggings. 'My biggest high school crush looked almost exactly like that, so I modelled it after him. Mike, if you're reading this, thank you,' she says. Since 2022, the purple-blond stylist has been dubbed the 'wig wizard' at Rainbow Stage, joining the creative team ahead of that year's run of The Wizard of Oz as a last-minute hair transplant. 'They were panicking because the person they hired took a film job a few weeks before opening night and it became the dream job I didn't know was possible,' says Warren, who's also on hair and wig duty for the Manitoba Opera. (At her day job, she cuts, colours and styles for clients at Pembina Hair Co.) The Oz gig brought Warren back to Rainbow Stage, which she first attended in 1979 for the company's production of The King and I with her parents. Her mom didn't want to go, but her dad said the actor playing the king looked just like Yul Brynner, the bald-headed star his wife had a crush on. If Warren didn't feel quite at home in the court of Siam, that's not the case at the Bourbon Room, the grimy establishment where the cast of dreamy characters gathers in Rock of Ages, the long-running Broadway jukebox musical portraying the love story between a small-town girl and a city boy against the backdrop of Hollywood's Sunset Strip. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Wig wizard Laura Warren took inspiration from a high school crush. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Wig wizard Laura Warren took inspiration from a high school crush. Set and prop designer Ksenia Broda-Milian's smoky vision of the Bourbon Room took Warren back to her teenage days of sneaking into Winnipeg venues such as Bumpers, Strawberries and Scandals. 'At Scandals, they barely glanced at IDs,' she remembers. Before she was old enough to vote, drink or buy cigarettes, Warren was growing out of the awkward phase when her mother still got her dolled up for picture day. 'I had stick-straight hair and my mom would put these spongy rollers in, but they'd fall out overnight and only half would curl. I was notorious for sticking my head in water fountains to straighten it back out,' says Warren, who graduated from Red River College's barbering program at 21. While hair plays a major supporting role in Rock of Ages — which was made into the 2012 film of the same name, starring Tom Cruise and Mary J. Blige — Warren says she only had to procure six wigs, a dozen fewer than for last year's run of Mary Poppins. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Among those gathering in the Bourbon Room, the grimy setting for Rock of Ages, are Nathaniel Muir (centre left) and Jeff Rivet (centre right). BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Among those gathering in the Bourbon Room, the grimy setting for Rock of Ages, are Nathaniel Muir (centre left) and Jeff Rivet (centre right). It helped that some of the show's leading male performers — including lead Nathaniel Muir (Drew), Vinnie Alberto (Joey Primo) and Jeff Rivet — came prepared with glorious locks of their own, she says. 'I grew this moustache myself — it took only a month and a half — but the hair I've been growing since (2023's) Little Mermaid,' says the ruddy Rivet, who plays Lonny, the show's energetic narrator. Lonny marks the largest role at Rainbow for Rivet, who made his debut for the company in 2019's production of Cinderella, choreographed by Rock of Ages director Alexandra Herzog, who also directed last year's Poppins. Born in 1988 and raised in Stony Plain, Alta., Rivet doesn't remember the decade as clearly as Warren, but the actor has a deep connection to the bands featured in the musical — including Foreigner, Whitesnake, Poison, Extreme and Night Ranger — thanks to his older sister. 'When I was one year old, I ruined her Def Leppard cassette by pulling out the tape. She'll never let me forget it,' he says. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Lonny marks the largest role at Rainbow Stage for Jeff Rivet. Lonny marks the largest role at Rainbow Stage for Jeff Rivet. To get the show's six-piece band into the spirit, Warren carefully selected wigs to make sure they wouldn't look out of place in the Bourbon Room. Music director Paul Rodermond's commitment went a bit further: the lifelong brunette let Warren give his head a shock of electric blond. 'It's changed my lifestyle, my outlook, my personality. I'm still surprised when I look in mirrors, but it's given me a new lease on life and I've accessed parts of myself I didn't know were there,' he says. 'I feel like a different energy is radiating from me than previously. After the show ends, I have plans to transition to frosted tips before returning to my natural state.' Ben WaldmanReporter Ben Waldman is a National Newspaper Award-nominated reporter on the Arts & Life desk at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Ben completed three internships with the Free Press while earning his degree at Ryerson University's (now Toronto Metropolitan University's) School of Journalism before joining the newsroom full-time in 2019. Read more about Ben. Every piece of reporting Ben produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
